The Repsol Honda Team take on the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship in Holland this weekend.
Marc Márquez has placed on the podium for the past eight consecutive years at the Dutch TT, winning four times: In 2010 (125cc), in 2011 and 2012 (Moto2) and in 2014 (MotoGP).
Dani Pedrosa achieved his first Grand Prix win at Assen, in 125cc (2002). It was the first podium of a total of seven he has taken at the Dutch track.
After the last Grand Prix, Marc Márquez and Dani Pedrosa completed an official test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in which they finished first and seventh fastest, respectively.
Marc Márquez:
“We’re coming off a good day of testing in Catalunya but Assen is a much different track compared to Montmeló, so it will be very interesting to see how we go there. So far we’ve been at a good level more or less everywhere and we’ve managed to get some good results at different circuits, so we’re also feeling positive going to Assen. I like the track, the ‘Cathedral’ of bike racing, and the fans are always very passionate there. It’s good to arrive with a little advantage in the Championship, but we’re very early in the season. There are several riders for whom the title is still possible, so we must just keep working and try to get the best result the situation allows.”
Dani Pedrosa:
“Assen has been a difficult race for me in the past, though I’ve also had some good results there. The track is very fast, and the bike tends to wheelie and move a lot. You need to work on the setup well to get a bike that’s stable without losing in other areas. Of course the weather, which is typically quite unstable, can makes things even more challenging. That said, we worked well during the recent test in Catalunya, and we found some little setup modifications aimed at giving us better grip; now we’ll see how it goes in Assen. We’ll try and do things correctly beginning on Friday morning and be prepared for whatever kind of situation we find.”
